We need needle exchange programs to fight HIV transmission.
Simple as that.
Gov. Mike Pence declared a public health emergency March 26, citing that Indiana’s worst HIV outbreak had developed in Scott County.
“In response to a public health emergency, I’m prepared to make an exception to my long-standing opposition to needle exchange programs,” he said.
Monroe County officials have drafted a needle-exchange proposal to the state health commissioner.
Needle and syringe exchange program (NSEPs) seek to reduce the risk factors for transmission of diseases among drug users by offering free, clean syringes to those users.
We should embrace these programs for treatment, awareness and education efforts.
We will fight fire with fire to encourage less harmful forms of drug use.
Similar needle-exchanges have already been approved in Scott, Madison and Fayette counties, so Monroe County should do the same.
Though funding of NSEPs is banned on a federal level, red tape and government restrictions shouldn’t get in the way of public health issues as critical as this.
Gov. Pence’s decision may be a step in the right direction, but we need to allow these programs more often so we can prevent outbreaks before they even happen.
Gov. Pence’s misguided opposition to the use of NSEPs keeps us from helping more people.
Saving the lives of hundreds of people should outweigh the costs.
We need to be more open in the way we help addicts of IV drugs.
We need these programs anytime and anywhere, without waiting for Uncle Sam’s slow train of politics to crank out an approval.
This can prevent similar things from happening in the future.
Though it is sad that we need these types of programs, we need to prevent the spread of HIV over the fear of possibly pushing people toward intravenous drugs.
We should be offering addiction treatment, disease testing and therapy.
These programs help to stop drug use and prevent overdose, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association’s study on NSEPs that was published this summer.
Withholding clean needles does little to none of that.
Addicts already suffer from imprisonment, unemployment or lack of treatment.
We can create a more positive, understanding environment to fight those problems of illicit drug use as well.
For this reason, we must increase access to NSEPs before outbreaks can occur again.
We need funding of NSEPs.
With fewer limits to them, we can stop the problems before they arise and keep the people of our community healthy.
